The Burrito Order That Frustrates Chipotle Employees Most

When you order at Chipotle, the fast-casual restaurant chain makes it easy to completely customize your meal. Whether you're ordering sofritos and guac in a vegetarian-friendly burrito, or you're craving a carne asada or steak bowl, there are seemingly endless combinations at your fingertips. However, build-your-own-meal options aren't always as much fun for the staff as they are for customers. Some patrons manage to pick exactly the right (or wrong) choices at Chipotle for a dish that employees dread creating. 

With the amount of burritos ordered daily at Chipotle, naturally, staff members get pretty good at rolling up many different ingredients in a tortilla. But some ingredients are just messier than others, and employees may not be happy if you order a ton of "problem" fillings in one burrito. If you tend to ask for a lot of condiments, chances are you're ordering a "soup burrito" — and your ticket might be met with a lot of groans.

Queso, salsa, and sour cream can make a burrito-wrapping session pretty slippery and difficult. When employees roll a burrito up with a liquid-heavy filling, it may be difficult for them to secure it properly, which isn't super fun for anyone — not even the customer.

Chipotle employees have chimed in across social media, and they all seem to share the same sentiment: "Soup burritos" just aren't pleasant to make. And once they're off the assembly line, they may be problematic to eat, too. Even if rolled properly, all those condiments and sauces might break through and drip out of the tortilla when you take a bite. 

If you know you're ordering something messy, and have an army of napkins (and a not-so-expensive outfit) at the ready, more power to you — and your Chipotle team is still willing to make whatever you order. But no matter how much you love a good sauce, taking a soup burrito on the subway or in the car might not be stellar. If you want extra security, the restaurant offers the option to have your burrito double-wrapped with an extra tortilla, for a small fee. This could help all those fillings stay rolled in place. 

If you don't like a lot of tortilla in every bite, one Chipotle employee offered a solution in a Reddit thread. "If you're going to get a lot of sauce in a burrito, please either get a good amount of rice and less of everything else to soak it up," they wrote, "or just order a bowl with a tortilla on the side." If you're open to altering your order, there are other ways to win the employees' favor while still getting every ingredient you want.

The easiest path to "un-souping" your burrito is to simply order a burrito bowl instead. This allows Chipotle employees to pile on all the liquid ingredients you desire, with none of the mess that comes with rolling them up in a tortilla. If you're really craving a burrito, though, you can of order a tortilla or two on the side of your burrito bowl to roll up your own.

The second solution is to order liquid ingredients on the side. Then, as you eat your burrito, you can simply dip it, or spoon smaller amounts onto each bite. If you're ordering online, Chipotle makes it easy to add a side of guacamole, salsa, or queso blanco to your order. This may cost a little bit more than simply adding it into your burrito, but you could wind up with some extra dip to enjoy with a side of chips (and you could really save the staff some effort in the middle of lunch rush). If you want a side of any other liquid ingredients, you may need to ask an employee nicely.

Ultimately, since Chipotle's menu options are fully customizable, there is nothing stopping you from ordering a soupy burrito. But if you want to ensure that your food is rolled to perfection, it may be best to limit the amount of liquid you add to your meal.